Cigar lighter



QJ. slNKo 2,149,931

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed May 2, 1936 Patented Mar. 7, 1939 UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to cigar lighters and more particularly toelectric lighters adapted for use in automobiles, having a withdrawableigniter plug of the wireless type.

The primary object of the invention is to provide an improved device bywhich light emanating from the heating element, upon reachingincandescence, may shine back in a manner to be readily observable bythe user.

A further object of the invention is to provi-de an improved replaceableigniter unit which may be readily plucked out of the end of the plugwithout disassembling the device.

Another object of the invention is to provide an igniter unit which isnon-rotatably mounted so that if the operator wishes to twist the plugslightly to make a better contact the unit will not come apart.

Heretofore some of the lighters of this general type have attempted topermit the light to shine back through the body of the plug to show thatthe device is ready for use. However, this has permitted but such asmall amount of light to reach the handle that it is almost impossibleto observe it in ordinary daylight. In the present invention ribs areprovided on the body member which properly space the withdrawable unitwithin the socket and preferably the handle flange is merely coextensivewith the ribs so that the 30 light may actually be observed around theflange.

The invention is illustrated in a preferred embodiment in theaccompanying drawing, in which- Fig. l is a side elevational view of awithdrawable plug embodying the invention, the socket member being shownin section; Fig. 2, a horizontal sectional View of the plug; Fig. 3, abroken sectional View showing the end of the body member with itsmolded-end guide ferrule; Fig. 4, a side elevational view of the igniterunit; Fig. 5, an end elevational view of the plug with the igniter unitremoved; Fig. 6, an end elevational view of the rear side of the igniterunit; Fig. '7, a sectional View taken as indicated at line 'l of Fig. 2;and Fig. 8, an end elevational view of the plug.

In the embodiment illustrated, a socket member 9 may be in the form of acupy made of sheet metal or the like, and preferably is provided at itsopen end With an outwardly extending flange l adapted to abut against aperforated panel l l adapted to receive a bushing I2. Preferably, thebushing is provided with an outwardly extending flange I3 and has athreaded sleeve portion I4 adapted to engage the rear threaded portionof the socket and hold it in position.

The closed end portion l5 of the socket-member serves to support a baseterminal lt which may be in the form of a spider-like member insulatedfrom the socket by means of washers l'! (Cl. 21S-32) and connected to asuitable source of electrical supply by means of a bolt i8. Thus, itwill be understood that the bushing l2 may form one terminal for thewithdrawable plug and the second terminal i6 may be iixed to andinsulated from the front end of the socket.

The withdrawable plug is shown with an insulating body i9, preferably ofBakelite or the like and provided on its outer side with outwardlyextending ribs Eri. Preferably, the front end of the body member isprovided with a guide ferrule 2l which is molded into the body itself.The guide ferrule is provided with guide slots 22 to prevent rotation ofthe heating element as will be described below.

.es best shown in Figs. 2 and '7, the body member is provided with aninternal contacting ring 23 provided with an outwardly extending xedcontacting pin 24, which is adapted to engage one of the socketterminals l2. The opposite side of the ring has a small presser sleeve25, disposed within one of the ribs 20 and has a compression spring 26which urges the ring 23 laterally to provide a yielding contact betweenthe pin 24 and the socket member. The withdrawable plug has a knob 2lwhich preferably is made of a plastic molding material and istranslucent or transparent in its finished state. The knob is shown witha flange coextensive with the ribs 2li and preferably has an annulargroove 29 to receive light, shining back between the ribs, and diffusesthe same throughout the flange. By making the flange coextensive withthe ribs it has been found that the light is readily apparent around theflange itself and may be seen in daylight without difficulty.Preferably, the handle has a brass plate 3E provided with a forwardlyextending knurled stem 3l upon which is mounted a hollow screw plug 32which is pressed over the knurling indicated at 33. The front end of theplug makes a screw-treated connection with the body member i9 and, aswill be readily understood, the member 3@ is molded in the knob. Thisconstruction provides space within the hollow handle and preventsexcessive heating.

As shown in Fig. 2, a hollow Supporting member 34 is slidably mountedwithin the body member and has a flange 35 which is adapted to makeelectrical contact with the ring 23. rThis member is urged forwardly bymeans of a compression spring 3E provided within the plug member 32. d

An insulating washer 3l limits the forward movement of the member.

The igniting unit is shown with a spider-like contacting cup which hasopenings 39 between its arms in register with the openings between theribs. A rearwardly extending guide cup 40 is fastened back to back withthe cup member 38 and preferably has tongues 4I extending intoperforations in the cup 33 to prevent turning thereon. The cups are heldtogether by means of a headed stem member 42, which is held insulatedfrom the cups by means of insulating washers i3 and Lid. A brass washerl5 may be slipped over the knurled end of the stem and the assemblysecured together by pressing a hollow pin 45 rmly over the knurled endof the stem. Preferably, the rear end portion of the stem 46 is pointedand slotted as indicated at il to facilitate its insertion into themember 34. The front end of the stem member 42 supports the heatingelement 43 which has one end connected to the cup 38, as indicated at 49and the other end is xed to the slotted end of the member 42. As shownin Figs. 4 and 6, the guide cup 4i] has outwardly extending ribs 5Bwhich register with the slots 22 provided in the ferrule 2|. Thisprevents the heating unit from rotating with respect to the body member.

In case a heating unit burns out it is merely necessary to grasp the cup3B and pull it out of the member 3ft and replace it with a new unit. Tooperate the device the handle 2 is depressed which will cause thesupporting member 35 to contact the ring 23 and complete the circuitthrough the heating coil. When the coil reaches incandescence, lightwill shine back between and around the ribs 20 and the operator may thenwithdraw the plug bodily to light a cigar.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness ofunderstanding only, and no unnecessary limitations should be understoodtherefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly aspermissible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In a cigar lighter: a round tubular socket member forming oneterminal for a withdrawable plug member and having in its base anotherterminal; and a withdrawable igniter plug comprising a hollow bodyhaving a grooved ferrule at its front end and provided with outwardlyextending longitudinal ribs adapted to nt into said socket, an ignitingunit detachably mounted with projections engaging the grooves in saiderrule at the front end of said body and provided with a heating elementadapted to be connected in series with said socket terminals and beheated to incandescence, said unit having rearwardly extend-- ingopenings to permit light from the incandescent element to shine backbetween said ribs to the opening in the socket member.

2. A device as speciiied in claim l, in which the igniter plug has arigid ring-member equipped at its rear end with a handle having atranslucent flange coextensive with said ribs.

3. A device as specied in claim l, in which the igniter plug is equippedwith a contacting pin yieldingly urged outwardly through one of saidribs into contact with said socket member terminal and has an internalswitch adapted to complete the circuit through the heating element whenthe plug is pressed forwardly against the base terminal.

4. In a cigar lighter having a round tubular socket member provided withtwo electrical terminals, a withdrawable igniter plug comprising: ahollow body member of insulating material; a heating unit slidabiymounted on said body member, said unit having one contact adaptednormally to engage one of the socket terminals and having a secondcontact extending rearwardly into said body; a ring in said body havingat one side a pin extending through the wall of said body, and at theother side a spring yieldingly urging said ring and pin laterally intoelecrical contact with the other socket terminal; and spring-meansyieldingly urging the rear contact of said heating unit out of electicalcontact with said ring.

5. A device as specified in claim 4, in which the withdrawal plug isprovided at its outer end with a hollow handle member of organicmaterial provided with a metallic member anchored in the outer endportion of the handle and extending forwardly through the enlargedopening in said handle to make a threaded connection with the outer endof the body member.

6. In a cigar lighter having a round tubular socket member providedVwith two electrical terminals, a withdrawable igniter plug comprising:a hollow body member of insulating material; a ferrule, provided withlongitudinal grooves, rigidly mounted in the front of said body; acontacting member mounted in said body and having a pin extendingoutwardly through said body into contact with one of said socketterminals; a supporting member slidably mounted for limited travel inthe front end of said body and yieldingly urged out of electricalcontact with said contacting member; and a heating unit, havingprojections to engage the grooves in said ferrule, detachably mountedand frictionally held on said supporting member and having one end of aheating element in electrical contact therewith, said heating elementhaving its opposite end normally in electrical contact With the othernals; a supporting member slidably mounted for limited travel in thefront end of said body and yieldingly urged out of electrical contactwith said contacting member; and a heating unit, having projections toengage said ferrule and prevent relation with respect thereto, andprovided with a heating element, said unit being normally in electricalcontact with the other socket terminal, and having a rearwardlyextending stem removably held by frictional contact in said supportingmember,

8. In a cigar lighter: a round tubular socket member forming oneterminal for a withdrawable plug member and having in its base anotherterminal; and a withdrawable igniter plug comprising a hollow bodyhaving a grooved ferrule at its front end and provided with outwardlyextending ribs adapted to t into said socket, an igniting unit havingprojections to engage the grooves in said ferrule and provided with aheating element adapted to be connected in series with said socketterminals and be heated to incandescence, said unit having at its frontend a spider-like cup having openings in register with said ribs topermit light from the incandescent element to shine back between saidribs to the opening in the socket member.

JOHN SINKO.

